TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
>Then if a 9-step procedure must be remembered and performed, the chances
>are that about 18 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 13 = 70 % (yes : 70 % !) of the
>operators will fail or ask for assistance from time to time. With a
>7-step procedure, the risk would be 43 %, and with a 5-step procedure, it
>would fall under the acceptable value of 18 %.
That's one reason why technical writing is written down rather than
passed on orally. While Information Mapping may well be relevant to
verbal instructions, and for procedures that must be performed too
quickly to allow the manual to be referred to once started, I
fail to see how it affects material that is used either as step-by-step
instructions where each step can be read and then performed in sequence)
or information that is meant to be learned permanently, rather than
held briefly in short-term memory and then forgotten.
-- Robert
--
Robert Plamondon, President/Managing Editor, High-Tech Technical Writing, Inc.
36475 Norton Creek Road * Blodgett * Oregon * 97326
robert -at- plamondon -dot- com * (541) 453-5841 * Fax: (541) 453-4139
TECHWR-L List Information
To send a message about technical communication to 2500+ list readers,
E-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send administrative commands
ALL other questions or problems concerning the list
should go to the listowner, Eric Ray, at ejray -at- ionet -dot- net -dot-
